Riko is sent crashing into Jamie at mach speed slamming them both into the pillar behind them, "Fuckkk, its like fighting a giant boiler" Riko groans in fury as he picks himself up "I've been trying to keep a level head but thats it" Jamie says sitting up, the look in his eyes darkening ever so slightly.
Riko quickly glances over at his cousin slowly picking himself up off the ground a chilling aura pulsing around him and then back at their opponent charging them like a raging bull, he grits his teeth and forms an x with his forearms coating them in obsidian bracing in hopes to halt the giant man's advance.
Then suddenly BOOM the iron clad berserker trips seemingly over nothing and carves a huge crater in the ground, Riko's eyes widen in shock and on closer inspection he sees a small black circle around the enemy's foot through which atleast 3 pairs of pitch black hands were grasping his ankle.
Their opponent huffed like a Roaring bulling , the steam from his body grew denser as his muscles swole to even greater proportions, he dug his fingers into the ground tearing out a chunk of concrete and launched it at Jamie.
Riko dashed infront of the incoming projectile instinctively trying to protect his cousin, only to be shocked when the slab of concrete stopped moving mid air, there were five shadow gauntlet wearing fingers dug into the concrete slab, shadowing flickered and danced along the gauntlet like a shifting night sky.
Their assailant was just as shocked as Riko was, both of their eyes traced the gauntleted hand into the nearby shadows, a faceless figure stepped out made of pure dark energy, Riko knew this was one of Jamie's construct, however he's never seem his cousin conjure anything like this, the aura coming off this think, the reminded him of his uncle....Seamus the shark.
The faceless figure turned its head towards at their opponent, 7ft of living night. One yellow shark eye opened in the void of its face.
Riko's blood went cold. "Uncle Seamus...?"
The figure laughed — sound of drowning men. Looked at Riko. Dismissed him. Looked at Jamie.
Jamie's voice cracked. "you're right this thing does feel like...Dad?"
"I...am....shark" came a raspy voice booming through Jamie and Riko's head
The berserker roared, charging at the group.
Shark didn't move. Just opened its hand.
The berserker ran into a flash of purple light. Then stopped cold. Looked down.
His chest was gone. Eaten away. Clean circle through ribs.
Shark closed its massive fist. Shadow wisking off its knuckles like burned tire smok.
"What the fuck" Riko whispered, trembling. "That's not... that's not a construct."
Jamie fell to his knees, he seemingly never new the strength of his newest creation either. " well fucking shit "
Shark put a hand on Jamie's head. Gentle. Then turned to Riko. Pointed at him. Then at Jamie.
Protect him, it meant. Or I eat you too.
A wide smile spreading across Jamie's Jamie's face as he remembered the real reason they were there. Jamie felt a tinge of satisfaction trickle up his spine just imagining sicking his new pet on Grigorovich.
On the facility's Courtyard
Toma and Daiji ushered the freed children to a section of the compound they had already cleared out. From where they were they had a good surveillance point of the main gate which they watched fiercely without any sudden moves.
They had heard many vechiles roll up outside, maybe dozens, they both thought maybe the enemy had sent for reinforcements. However what they heard next made a chill run up both of their spines.
"Open it" Kazunai's voice cut through the night like a razor through paper. As soon as this was said a Hum-Vee came crashing through the facility's main gate tearing it clean off the hinges.
From the building on the compound countless white tiger goons flooded, all seemingly startled by the commotion outside.
Kazunai stepped through what was once the luscious gate of the science research center revolver in one hand baseball bat in the other , "you must have a death wish kid" one of the goons mouthed before a shot landed square between his eyes.
From behind Kaz came a hail of bullets that tore the first line of goons to shreds others tried fleeing of defending them self with their abilities but it was hopeless, Kazunai came for an execution....and he brought his firing squad.
"You shits order an exterminator" Kazunai taunted, a manic smile spreading across his face, kharzun's rune thumping with each step.
He turned his head turns a building on the far east side of the company, his eyes made contact with that of his cousin daiji, Kaz gave a slight nod in acknowledgement and continued his march further into the facility. Daiji whose jaw was almost brushing his knees barely got a chance to react before kazunai had walked off, Toma stood beside him"shit , shit, shit" she lamented inwardly
"This.....changes things" Daiji says to her nervously "Jamie's nice and easy assassination slash rescue mission is about to go up in flames...things didn't just change.....shit just got chaotic" Toma said glancing at her brother sideways.
"I honestly don't see what you guys are so worried about, plus look he brought reinforcements" Daiji pointed out as he watched their new arrivals go deeper into the facility "Jamie managed to avert the bigger crisis which would have been the search and rescue, you know if kaz knew to begin with he would have stopped at no lengths" Toma said walking off "yeah you're right I guess...hey wait where are you going?" Daiji says walking after her "To go help take out the trash then deal with you're cousin's nuclear level crashout after" She replied.
Back with Vali and Zaria
Vali and Zaria stood atop a mountain of bodies breathing heavily.
Vali's shirt was torn. Black mist bled from his mouth with every breath. Not smoke — Abyssal Mist. It was heavy. It didn't rise. It sank, pooling around his boots, around Zaria's ankles. Making the dead look like they were underwater.
Zaria's hands were shaking. The faint white threads between her fingers flickered. Dim, then bright, then dim again. She had been pulling for fifteen minutes straight. Her Strings could cut through steel when they glowed blue. Right now they were barely white.
Below them, Grigorovich took slow steps towards them. Clapping slowly.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
"Done with them already, I see?" Grigorovich grinned. That smug, rich-kid grin. His white coat was spotless. Not a drop of blood on it, despite the forty White Tiger goons dead around Vali's feet. "My benefactor always told me Yaizumeis were all shark no bite. Guess he was wrong. You're efficient little mutts afterall."
Vali didn't answer. Vali never answered.
Zaria spat blood. "Fuck you."
Grigorovich's grin widened. His eyes flashed amber.
"I've been generous. I've let you tire yourselves on my men. Now —"
He rolled his neck. His spine cracked. Then cracked again. Louder.
Fur exploded from his skin.
Vali moved first.
"Zaria, NOW!"
Vali slammed his palms together and the Abyssal Mist around their feet erupted. It wasn't mist anymore — it was a freezing black fog that ate light. Grigorovich's clapping hands vanished in it.
Zaria screamed and threw both arms wide. Her Strings sang. SHING.
Ten glowing white lines cut through the mist in an X pattern, right where Grigorovich's throat should have been.
They passed through nothing. She reeled the Strings back like fishing lines which then villian caught, or better yet attempted to catch but they slicing his palm.
Grigorovich lickes the wound, steam slowly rising from it as the flesh knits itself back together "well well little girl you have some spark in you I see". Before be could properly finish his sentence Vali's knee slammed into his jaw from the side sending him stumbling.
The mist cleared for half a second. Grigorovich was gone.
Then a shadow fell over them both.
He was above them. In mid-air. Fully transformed.
White Tiger Form.
Not a man anymore. Eight feet tall, shoulders as wide as a doorway, white fur streaked with black scars, hind legs bent like a tiger's, chest still vaguely human but covered in muscle that looked poured on. His head was all tiger — fangs as long as Vali's forearm. And on his right hand — human right hand, strangely still human — a plain black ring pulsing faintly.